My 85-year-old aunt appears to have little – but visiting her gives me so much | Nicholas Milton

This Christmas visit an older relative. For me Auntie Gillian ’s bravery and sharp mind mean time spent with her is always a joy, never a choreMy Auntie Gillian is the bravest person I know. Now 85 and in declining health, she spends much of her time shuffling between two rooms holding on to her walking frame. Bent double with osteoporosis, she has not been out of her tiny house for three years. A widow for more than a decade since my uncle died, she has no children and is now completely reliant on carers to change her clothes and put her on the toilet. Over Christmas, they are the only people she will see, apart from me.My aunt lives over an hour away, which makes “popping over” difficult. Like so many people, I have countless calls on my time. So I have to make a really special effort to visit her and too often I find excuses not to bother. But when I do finally make the trip I’m always surprised how much I get out of our encounter. When I arrive my he ad is crammed with all the things I need to do at home or at work, yet by the time I leave many of these things will have been forgotten.Continue reading...
Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Older people Ageing Science UK news Family Life and style Christmas Source Type: news